The present invention relates to a supply of suspension elements, like suspension loops, according to claim 1, the usage of said supply according to claim 8, and a method for detecting the end of a supply of suspension elements, like suspension loops, according to claim 9.
In particular, the present invention relates to a supply of suspension elements, like suspension loops, which fed in a feeding direction to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, and which are to be attached to said sausage-shaped products. The supply comprises a carrier strip having at least an upper and a lower surface as well as two longitudinally extending edges arranged parallel to each other, and a number of suspension elements attached to the upper or lower surface of the carrier strip in at least substantially regular intervals. The carrier strip including the suspension elements is wound up, thereby forming a roll.
Furthermore, the present invention further relates to the usage of a supply of suspension elements, like suspension loops, in a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausage.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a method for detecting the end of a supply of suspension elements, like suspension loops, which are fed in a feeding direction to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, and which are attached to said sausage-shaped products. The method comprises the step of feeding suspension loops, which are attached to the upper or lower surface of a carrier strip in at least substantially regular intervals, to the clipping machine for attaching said suspension elements to the sausage-shaped products.
In the production of sausage-shaped products in a clipping machine, a filling material, like sausage meat, is fed into a tubular casing material which is closed at one end by a first closing clip. After a predetermined portion of filling material is fed into said tubular casing material, it is gathered and closed at its second end by applying a second closure clip thereto. Conventionally, for further treatment, said sausage-shaped products are hung up on, e.g., rod-like elements. For this purpose, a suspension element, like a loop, is attached to one end of said sausage-shaped product together with one of the two closing clips which engage said loop.
Suspension elements in the form of loops are known from DE patent 195 15 605. Said suspension elements have an elongated shape and are attached in regular intervals to a longitudinally extending carrier belt transversely to said longitudinally extension. Belt consists of two paper or plastic strips between which the suspension elements are arranged.
From DE laid open document 10 2009 011 723, a clipping a feeding device for feeding suspension elements to a clipping machine is known. Said suspension elements are attached to a carrier strip. The carrier strip is guided into the closing area of the clipping machine in a manner that a suspension element is held in a feeding position in which said suspension element is attached to the sausage-shaped product produced in said clipping machine together with the second clip for closing the sausage-shaped product.
A supply of suspension elements which are attached to a carrier strip is normally formed by winding said carrier strip with said suspension elements, thereby forming a roll. Said roll or supply of suspension elements includes a predetermined number of suspension elements. When placing a new supply of suspension elements to a respective holder on a clipping machine, a number of sausage-shaped products according to the number of suspension elements in said supply may be produced.
In case that a used supply of suspension elements is maintained on said clipping machine or a used supply is placed on the clipping machine, the number of suspension elements of said used supply is not always known. In the case that the number of suspension elements in the supply is less than expected, it is possible that sausage-shaped products without a suspension element are produced. Said sausage-shaped products are not usable anymore. On the other hand, in case that a marginal number of suspension elements are left in said supply, in order to avoid defective goods, the user may replace said “nearly empty” supply by a new one. Also said removed marginal number of suspension elements is not usable anymore.